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CALGARY, Dec. 5, 2017 /CNW/ - The National Energy Board (NEB) has released the results of a pre-construction audit of Enbridge Pipelines Inc. showing the company has a plan in place to manage safety and environmental protection during construction of its Line 3 Replacement Project. The pre-construction audit report, released today, assessed whether Enbridge's documentation, processes and activities met NEB requirements.

NEB auditors looked at 35 audit protocol questions, including management system elements such as quality assurance, communications, hazard identification, risk assessment and controls. Enbridge was found to be non-compliant in one area – the company did not have a documented process for sharing corrective actions and learnings with employees and contractors. Enbridge has already taken action to correct the non-compliance.

The pre-construction audit involved more than two months of document review and on-site activities, including extensive interviews with company employees and review of internal documents that describe company procedures, training materials, and staff responsibilities. The audit was carried out from April to July 2017.

NEB staff have completed more than a dozen compliance verification activities for the Line 3 Replacement Project to date, including on-site inspections, a review of the construction safety manual and meetings with the company.

Enbridge began construction of the new Line 3 Pipeline in August, 2017. The project is expected to go into service in 2019.

Quick Facts

The NEB maintains a proactive approach to safety and incident prevention and we take all available actions to protect Canadians and the environment.

The NEB reviews the state of all compliances activities on an ongoing basis and has the authority to stop work if compliance is not being maintained.

On November 5, 2014, Enbridge applied to replace 1,067 kilometres of aging 36 inch Line 3 pipeline between Hardisty, Alberta to Gretna, Manitoba, with 1,096 kilometres of new pipeline built to current standards.

The NEB takes a lifecycle approach to pipeline regulation, starting from the planning and application phase all the way through to abandonment and post-abandonment.

The National Energy Board is an independent federal regulator of several parts of Canada's energy industry. It regulates pipelines, energy development and trade in the public interest with safety as its primary concern. For more information on the NEB and its mandate, please visit www.neb-one.gc.ca.